We started out with a morning at the Grand Balon - the local monthly flea market. Not much to see this time - I did get a few linens.
Then it was into the car heading north towards Switzerland. The landscape quickly turned to snowy peaks and sweet villages in alpine valleys. Todd had been of told of a fort/castle called Forte di Bard and I wish I had gotten some exterior shots. It was massive! Imposing! (Hopefully one of the kids got a good one and will post it.) Anyway, this was the fort that stopped Napoleon from coming through the St Bernard Pass and invading Peidmonte/Italy. A really impressive complex, and it had a couple of funiculars to ride to the top. Yeah, that part was fun :) The views were incredible!
After our fort visit we wandered the medieval village of Bard that was stuck between the fort and another mountain - and because of that hadn't changed in hundreds of years.
Headed north again, it seemed every hilltop had another tower, fort or castle. There were even a few palaces tucked in. We made it Aosta, which looked like it belonged more in Switzerland or Austria. (Sorry, I have no pix from Aosta. My phone decided it was full. I took some on Todd's phone, but being the tech whiz that I am, have no clue of how to get them from there to here. Bah.) The town was charming and had a cute pedestrian shopping street (Sunday- most were closed! Bummer). Oh, and roman ruins. Lots. Triumphal arch, theater... Have to say that I did leave a bit disappointed though. I had hoped to see at least ONE St Bernard! Honestly, I had hoped to see whole fields of them. Frolicking. Sigh...no roadside puppy stands.
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